(1) Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a molding device for composite components with the features of the preamble of claim 1.
(2) Description of Related Art
Molding of composite components in molding dies needs typically 180° C. for curing. When a thermal capacity is large of a molding die that is used for molding, it takes time for the heat to transfer from a heat source to a pressing surface contacting a product to be molded. Oil as heat transfer medium is incompatible with composite components and thus disadvantageous for the molding of composite components. Standard heat pipes provide heat at a temperature range from −20° C. to 230° C. depending from used internal medium. Standard heat pipes provide said heat with a safe isolation of any heat transfer medium from the composite components.
The document JP H05-91820 discloses a heat pipe embedded in a molding die for thermally molding material, so as to increase a thermal conductivity of the molding die.
The document U.S. 2013/040012 A provides a compression molding apparatus performing a molding by providing a raw material into a molding die, and applying heat and pressure to the raw material. The apparatus includes a first molding die that forms a molding frame that surrounds a region where the raw material is compression-molded; a second molding die that compresses the raw material provided into the molding frame; and a heat source section that supports and heats the second molding die. The second molding die includes a heat pipe that has one end positioned on a side of the heat source section and the other end positioned on a side of a pressing surface pressing the raw material, and a heat insulating layer that wraps the heat pipe along a longitudinal direction of the heat pipe. The compression molding apparatus of U.S. 2013/040012 A is not suitable for vacuum molding.
The object of the invention is to provide a molding device suitable for vacuum molding of composite components.
The solution to the problem is provided with a molding device with the features of claim 1.